'South Africa aims at 12 billion USD trade with India by 2012'

Hyderabad, Sep 3 (UNI) South Africa is keen on stepping up trade with India to 12 billion USD by 2012, South Africa Consul General in India Busi Kuzwayo said today.

Highlighting a plethora of investment opportunities yet to be tapped in South Africa to the captains of Industry in Andhra Pradesh, she said her country looked for investments in various sectors, including infrastructure, automobiles and Information and Technology.

Speaking at a meeting organised by the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI), she said the two-way trade between the two countries in the last two years had doubled to four billion US Dollars.

Elaborating on the areas of cooperation, she said a South African company was involved in a joint venture in modernising the Mumbai airport.

Stating that South African companies were keen on bidding for coal blocks in the country, she said, ''we have the expertise in gasification of coal and India can benefit from it.'' India could explore gas and wind power to South Africa, she added.

South Africa had very rich reserves of minerals, including diamonds and gold, she said, urging Indian enterpreneurs to collaborate in diamond cutting and grading.

India could also look to South Africa for value addition of agro-products like grapes, she said.

South Africa, the gateway to the African continent, also looked to India for collaboration in Hospitality, Power and IT, she said.

Expressing her appreciation for the impressive growth of Business Process Outsourcing Industry in India, she wanted Indian entrepreneurs to set up 'call centres' in her country.

Referring to students exchange programmes, she said, ''South Africa's fifth batch of students have come to Hyderabad recently. We want students from India to study in the world class universities there in science, engineering and medicine.'' UNI